Night games no longer at Hoover

Hoover football players raise their helmets before the start of a night game this season against Kearny. The Cardinals are 4-1 going into Friday’s game, which will start at 3:30 p.m. instead of 6:30 because of a dispute with neighbors.
— Sean M. Haffey

Hoover football players raise their helmets before the start of a night game this season against Kearny. The Cardinals are 4-1 going into Friday’s game, which will start at 3:30 p.m. instead of 6:30 because of a dispute with neighbors.
— Sean M. Haffey

“The court expressly disagreed with long-standing precedent established that parking does not create an environmental impact,” Reed-Porter said.

Hoover administrators, faculty and football players have scrambled to tweak homecoming plans. Arrangements for remaining home games must include adjusting the athletes’ school schedules for day games and rescheduling security, emergency medical technicians and snack bar personnel.

“It certainly hasn’t been easy,” Lardizabal said. “However, with overwhelming efforts of everyone at the school, we’ve been able to handle the changes.”

Hoover now must wait until January. That’s when the final EIR will be submitted.

The report will either strengthen the school’s position or decimate it — allowing the resumption of night activity or potentially burying the issue for good.

In the meantime, the football players’ Saturday morning community service — picking up trash and signs throughout the neighborhood and painting houses, among other things — will continue and diplomacy will be attempted.

“Whatever it takes,” said Holiday, whose Cardinals team hasn’t waved the white flag just yet.

“They’re a resilient group of kids,” Hoover football coach Jerry Ralph said.

“Even though the odds are against them, they continue to look for possible solutions and ways to compromise to accommodate both the school and the neighbors who are affected by these issues.”